Canvas
by 3 cups 0f tea
Summary: A blank piece of canvas needs a painter's touch to brighten it up with splashes of color. For the painter, meeting a certain anthropophobic rabbit just might be the key to brightening up his monotonous days of art. Fon27
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey there! If you're looking at this note then that must mean that you're planning to read this story of mine. That makes me so incredibly happy, knowing that you're giving this story a chance. ^^ I could almost squeal in joy!

Ahem. Sorry about that. But I truly am happy if you're giving this a chance. I'm not new here since I've been frequenting this site for a few years now, leaving behind me a trail of reviews here and there, but I definitely am a novice when it comes to writing. I'm more of the reader type, you see. I enjoy reading other people's works more than writing. And in all honesty, I never envisioned myself ever writing my own fanfiction. I know I could never compare with the great authors out there. If they're the sky, then I'm the soot found under the shoe of burly old men. Ugh. But here I am now, giving it a try, despite lacking in self-confidence.

I'd like to thank **Metamorcy **for this. You know her right? I'm sure you do. She's an amazing author. I got hooked with Fon27 because of her. And I couldn't be happier. :D I started writing this with the thought of entering her Fon27 contest. But sadly, looking at the date, I'm well aware that I probably wouldn't finish the story in time for the deadline. So I'm having second thoughts on entering this.

Please tell me if any of you like the story, and if I should continue it. And please, please be brutally honest about it. Tell me whatever it is that you find bad, disgusting even, with both the story and how I write. I'll take whatever criticisms you throw at me. I could take it. Probably. And it'll help me grow as a writer. :3

Well then, please enjoy~!

(I might change the title sometime since I really can't think of anything suitable right now. :3)

**Disclaimer:**I wish I do, but unfortunately I don't. (Why are we supposed to put this again? It's obvious we don't own it, is it not?)

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><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

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><p><em>-Chapter 1-<em>

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><p>It was a beautiful summer morning in the small town of Namimori –clear skies, birds chirping, kids frolicking. The sun was already high up in the sky, lighting up every street, corner, and alleyway of the peaceful town. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the numerous residences, alerting its occupants of the dawning of a new day.<p>

It was no different for a particular apartment complex as the sunlight crept through the small opening of the fourth floor windows, brightening up a portion of the interior. Inside is a moderately big living room space with little furniture comprising of a comfortable-looking couch, a small antique coffee table, a television set placed across from it, and a few shelves. Paintings of different landscapes adorned the walls. On one particular wall hung a round clock, its hands reading _8:30_. There are two doors opposite each other at the end of the hallway, presumably the bedrooms, and at the other end was a small kitchen. Next to it is a narrow hallway leading to a locked door.

The living room was in a state of disorder. Pieces of paper covered with sketches are strewn all over the floor and on the furniture, some stacked together in neat piles while others are crumpled and ripped. Different colors of paint stained the mahogany floorboards and the Oriental rug, or at least what's visible of them. Several canvases and finished paintings were leaning against the walls of the room in a disorganized manner, some even scattered on the floor. In the far corner of the room stood shelves littered with an array of brushes, paint, drawing pencils, and other art materials.

In the middle of it all was a lone painting easel sporting a huge blank canvas. Beside the easel sprawled out on the floor was a figure of a man sleeping peacefully, his chest slowly rising and falling in even breathing. His long hair which was tied in a neat braid was laid on his side, falling onto his back. His face and clothes were splattered with different colors of paint, and next to him lay innocently a white color palette colored with hardened paint and a number of used paint brushes. Clutched on his left hand was a sketchbook, with an unfinished painting of a landscape.

The man would have continued sleeping without a care in the world when suddenly, the telephone rang.

_Ring. Ring._

The man stirred in his sleep as the ringing slowly brought him back to consciousness, dragging him away from his dream.

_Ring. Ring._

He lifted his long-sleeved arm and brought up his hand, dirtied with paint, to his face, rubbing off the sleep from his eyes. Slowly, his eyes shot open. His narrow slanted eyes even more narrow than normal because of sleepiness, making his Chinese features more pronounced. He got up from the floor where he probably collapsed due to fatigue the night before, vaguely aware of setting aside the sketchbook in his hands. He stretched his limbs, noting that his muscles were aching, until he heard a satisfying _pop_. His weary eyes scanned the room for the source of the noise, landing on the telephone hanging on the wall adjacent from him.

_Ring. Ring._

He woke himself up completely and made his way to the telephone, reaching out his hand to answer the noisy contraption. He stopped to stare at his paint-soiled hand, but shrugged and picked up the receiver anyway. They were dried after all.

_Ring. Ri__ –_

"_Wei_?" He answered in a polite tone, and then suddenly realizing his mistake in using his native language, he muttered a quick hello in Japanese.

"_Ciaossu_." Replied his caller. Knowing that there's only one person he knew who used a mixture of Italian and Japanese as a greeting, he visibly relaxed and allowed a smile to grace his lips.

"It has been a long time, Reborn." He said, still smiling. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was wondering if you were still alive, Fon. Considering that it has been a few weeks since you've holed yourself up in that apartment of yours." There was a slight pause. "Honestly, you're taking that painting contest way too seriously. Luce and the others are starting to worry if you've been eating alright."

Fon let out a chuckle at that. He could almost_ hear_ the smirk tugging at the fedora-wearing man's lips. He wondered whom Reborn meant for as _others _aside from Luce. He highly doubted that Mammon and Verde would worry about him, even if they did share a certain amount of friendship. Well, he figured Collonelo and Lal might. Skull, too. He tightened his grip on the phone as he answered. He couldn't suppress the growing amusement lacing his tone.

"Oh? I'm perfectly fine. As far as I know, I've been feeding myself regularly and I have yet to find myself at the brink of starvation." He stopped then added as an afterthought. "I can't say I've been eating healthy though." He chuckled as his smile grew wider. "And you and the others could always visit me here. I wouldn't mind the company." He fiddled with the telephone wire, waiting for the Italian's response.

He heard Reborn scoff at the other end of the line. "Oh _sure. _The last time we visited, we can hardly find footing let alone a place to sit with all the mess you've made. Maybe we might actually consider visiting again if you clean up your house even for a bit."

Fon laughed as he eyed his living room. He couldn't agree more with Reborn. He really ought to straighten out his house. _Soon…_

"So, for what reason did you actually call me? I doubt it's just to ask about my well-being." Fon knew Reborn wasn't the type to engage in idle chatter. Worrying about others is more of Luce's personality.

Reborn grew silent for a moment before answering in a completely serious tone, all traces of the previous light-hearted conversation gone. "I need to ask a favor of you, Fon."

The Chinese man raised a delicate brow in both surprise and confusion. His movements stopped in the middle of twisting the telephone wire around his finger. "Eh?" He said, urging the other man to continue. His curiosity getting the better of him.

"I need you to look after someone for me." Reborn paused, as if gathering his thoughts. "His name's Tsuna. Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Fon didn't miss the slight urgency in the Italian's voice. He felt more than intrigued. It wasn't everyday that Reborn asked anyone for a favor. Heck, he never even asked his friends for favors unless it was completely and utterly necessary. He was the type of person who loathed the feeling of being indebted to anybody. The Chinese couldn't hide the amusement in his voice despite the seriousness of the other. "Why?"

Reborn snarled. Fon held back a chuckle as he pictured his caller narrowing his eyes in annoyance, having detected the tone in his voice. After a while, he heard Reborn sigh. "His parents are close acquaintances of mine and I'm very much indebted to them. They asked me to look after their son for the summer."

Fon felt that there was a lot more to that so he prodded for more information. "And?"

Reborn was silent for a while, but continued anyway. "The Sawadas suddenly decided to travel around the world, _claiming_ that they won a _world cruise_ in a raffle draw. They couldn't very well bring along their child since it's only a trip for two. They wouldn't allow him to be left alone either. He's been under my wing for a week now." Reborn's tone grew darker. "But something came up."

Fon narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The Chinese was able to pick up the hidden meaning behind those words. He stayed silent and waited for the other to continue.

Reborn sighed. The seriousness in his voice was still present as he spoke. "During the first few days, the Sawadas kept in contact with me. Then suddenly, there was nothing. _Nada_. _Zilch_. I tried contacting them instead," Reborn paused, "but it's as if they disappeared into thin air. I doubt this is just a case of irresponsible parents having too much fun vacationing to worry about their child."

When Fon stayed silent, Reborn continued. "Something's wrong. And I need to find out what it is. I have my suspicions, but I can't act on those alone. Tsuna's unaware of the situation as of yet. I haven't told him anything." Silence. "And I think it's better if he knew nothing…for now."

The Chinese nodded, even if Reborn couldn't see him. He allowed himself to slowly digest the information. Still he stayed silent, finding it hard to come up with something to say.

The two found themselves enveloped in silence. Tension thick in the air.

"_Please_." The man spoke at the other end of the line. Fon's eyes slightly widened in surprise. "I need you to take care of Tsuna for a few weeks. At least until I get to the bottom of everything."

Fon couldn't believe his ears. He caught the hidden emotion in the man's words. Reborn couldn't hide it from him. _No_. Fon shook his head in slight disbelief. Reborn was…_desperate_. He furrowed his brows. So this was indeed serious. It obviously was for Reborn.

He knew what it entailed to look after Reborn's charge even if it wasn't mentioned. Reborn was asking him for protection. _Tsunayoshi's_ protection. If that were the case, then it's quite possible that the kid's life is in danger. He couldn't very well deny the favor asked of him. Fon sighed to himself as he thought of the situation. He'll probably need to reacquaint himself with his martial arts skills sometime soon too.

Fon sighed once more, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Very well. I wouldn't mind looking after Tsunayoshi." He kept his tone light, despite the gravity of the conversation.

He heard Reborn breath out a sigh of relief at the end of the line. Fon allowed himself to relax, realizing that his body was tensed the whole time, as he let his eyes trail once more on his messy living room before sighing and breaking into a small grin. He paused as a thought crossed his mind, then he laughed, slightly throwing his head back, breaking the tension completely. "I guess I really have to start cleaning up now, don't I?"

Reborn snickered at that and replied in a more relaxed tone. "You'd better. Unless of course, if you don't mind getting your artwork stepped on." He paused, and then continued laughing a little in silence. "Don't worry. He can clean up after himself. I made sure of that when I used to tutor him." Fon could almost see the glint in Reborn's eyes as he spoke. He shuddered at the thought of the poor boy being subjected to the _sadist's_ tortu –tutoring. He snapped out of his musings when Reborn continued. "You'll probably come to like him. He's a good boy, if not a bit timid. He'll have to get used to you anyway."

Fon smiled. His eyes calculating as he stared at nothing in particular. He didn't fail to notice the _fondness_ in Reborn's tone as he spoke of the young lad. He chuckled. _Even_ if the Italian attempted to hide it in a controlled, almost emotionless voice. "Oh? I never knew you to be the type to get attached to someone."

Reborn snapped at him and let a small growl escape from his throat. "I never said I was." The Chinese could only smile wider. He knew better, despite Reborn's denial. He could tell that Reborn cared for the boy.

Silence engulfed them once more, as neither of the two spoke. But this time it was comfortable. Fon contemplated on ending the call and hanging up as their talk is more or less over. He still had other stuff to take care of, he realized. He was about to say his farewells when a thought crossed his mind.

He spoke, breaking the silence. "I almost forgot. When will Tsunayoshi arrive here?" He asked, his brows raised in question.

"…" Fon wasn't sure if Reborn had heard him, and he was about to repeat his question when the other line spoke up. "Tomorrow."

His eye twitched at that, the smile on his lips slowly dropping into a frown. _Tomorrow? _He inwardly cursed as he eyed his residence. He sighed in defeat. "Very well."

The Italian snickered, as if reading his train of thought. "Well then, I'll be keeping in touch. I'll inform you if I come up with anything." With that, Fon knew that the conversation was over, and they promptly said their goodbyes. He was about to hang up the receiver when he heard Reborn speak up once again.

"Fon?"

"Yes?"

"…"

"_Grazie_." Then the line was dead.

Fon couldn't help but smile as he hung up the receiver. It was said in no more than a whisper, but he had heard the silent gratitude.

Stepping away from his position in front of the telephone, he turned to look at his built up mess once again. He sighed, his shoulders slumping, eyebrows knitting together. He paused for a while, running his hand through his hair in mild frustration, and then slowly made his way to start the dreadful _cleaning_.

_Sigh__…_

'_It's going to be a long day.'_

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><p>AN: To those who read my note at the top of the page, I give my sincerest gratitude. ^^ I know most people often skip them and go straight to the story. Anyway, thank you for taking your time reading this and I hope you'll leave me a review. They actually boost egos, I've been told. ^^ Please tell me if I should continue or not so I'll know whether to allot time for writing this. I need to prepare for college entrance exams, too. :D

A bit of translation?

1) _Wei _–This is a Chinese word for 'hello' but it's used in telephone conversations. (ex. Hello? Is Lily at home? Chinese: Wei? Lily zai jia ma?) But I'm not exactly sure either since my Chinese sucks. 0_o

2) _Grazie_ –Italian for 'thank you'.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**Hello again! I decided to continue on with the story after seeing the reviews. Honestly, I was thinking I would have to discontinue and delete it. But I changed my mind after seeing the encouragements. :D Thank you so much for the reviews! I appreciated them so much! I kept on reading and rereading them while I was working on my other Fon27 fic, **Waiting For You**, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning. :3 I'm sorry for taking a while to reply to the reviews. I seriously didn't know how to go about it. -.-; I was hoping for a 'click to reply' button. Ahh, that would've made things a whole lot easier. It was a good thing that I opened my email. I haven't touched it for a long time!

Also, thank you for the alerts! It makes me happy that you like this story. ^^

Um…**March Rosenqueen** pointed out about the story being AU and the possibility of it leaning into the world of Mafia. Hm…as of now, I don't know yet. :D We'll just see what happens. :3

Here's Chapter 2 of the story. Please enjoy~

**Disclaimer: **Heh. I only wish.

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><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

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><p><em>-Chapter 2-<em>

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><p>Tsuna shrunk back in his seat, his arms wrapped protectively around his backpack bringing it closer to his chest. He dunked his head and closed his eyes, staying silent, hoping that he would continue to stay ignored. Not that anybody would notice him anyway. He was surrounded by unfamiliar people. He sighed. If luck was on his side today, he hoped that he would remain unseen.<p>

His seat jumped slightly, causing him to squeak loudly in surprise. He quickly clamped his mouth with both hands. Slowly, he raised his head and came face to face with dozens of eyes staring at him. Some were showing amusement at his reaction. So much for remaining unseen…

His face paled, and his fingers trembled. He could feel himself getting sicker by the second. He shut his eyes tightly_. Don't look. _He could still feel their gazes at him and he willed himself not to freak out. Seconds felt like hours until finally, the stares disappeared. Everybody went back to minding their own business.

The brunet sighed in relief. If they stared at him a second longer, he was sure he would've fainted. He allowed himself to relax, but still chose to bury his head on his bag. He closed his eyes in thought.

This is why he hated taking the bus.

That thought lingered in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

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><p>The bus jerked forward roughly, causing the brunet to almost fall from his seat. His eyes shot open, widened in surprise. He turned to look at his surroundings. There were only a few passengers left, and most, if not all, were sitting a short distance away from him. <em>Good<em>. He couldn't be more relieved. He glanced down and noticed the small pool of wetness on his orange backpack. Blinking, he reached up to touch the corner of his mouth and felt something wet and slimy. Huh. He must've been drooling in his sleep.

He stretched his arms and stifled a yawn, completely wiping off the sleep in his eyes. He glanced outside the window, watching as scenery passed by. Seeing nothing much of interest, he turned his eyes to look at his watch. It read _9:45 am_. It'll be while before the bus arrives at his stop.

He settled in his seat, relaxing into the tattered cushions. His mind drifted back to why he was aboard a bus in the first place.

His eye twitched at the memory.

That morning, he was unceremoniously woken up at the _ungodly_ hour of _6:00 am_ by his ex-tutor, Reborn. The Italian shoved him out off the bed, him falling face flat on the cold hard floor. He cringed, as he remembered the bruise that formed on his cheek.

_Reborn_. He thought back on his tutor. The brunet has been living with the fedora-_loving_ Italian for a week, after his parents left him behind to go on vacation. He sighed. He understood why his parents left him in Reborn's care. The Italian was one of the few people that Tsuna trusted and considered as family. He didn't mind being in close proximity with him. And as much as he hated to admit it, the brunet enjoyed the man's company…no matter how sadistic he could be.

It was also a fact that his parents are closely acquainted with the Italian.

Everything went fine during the first few days of his stay. He was so _used_ to Reborn's taunting and sadistic ways that he considered it a normal everyday occurrence. He knew that it was the Italian's way to indirectly show him his care. His big caramel eyes softened at the thought.

Along the way, his parents stopped contacting them. He was fine with that in the most part. The brunet knew that they badly needed the vacation, and if holding off all contact with him will help make them enjoy their vacation more, who was he to argue?

But he knew something was wrong. _Way_ wrong. His grades may not be good, but he wasn't stupid. Reborn's body language was off, no matter how hard the Italian tried to hide it from Tsuna. He was worried about something, the brunet knew. And from somewhere deep within his mind, he was somehow getting this feeling that whatever's bothering Reborn has something to do with his happy-go-lucky parents.

The brunet shook his head, shrugging away the thought. It won't do him any good to jump to conclusions.

His assumptions about the Italian, however, were further strengthened when he was awakened that morning and was greeted by the sight of a _bare_ bedroom, with Reborn dangling in front of him his beloved orange backpack filled with necessities.

He was hastily shoved into the bathroom and was ordered to 'get ready'. He reluctantly complied with the command.

He remembered gaping at the man when he was told that he would be staying with a person named _Fon_. The reason? Apparently the Italian was going skinny-dipping at the Atlantic with some buddies. The brunet huffed. Really, who did Reborn think he was kidding? As if he would believe something as ridiculous as that.

He merely nodded. He knew that Reborn had something important he must do. Whatever it was, he didn't know. He never liked being held in the dark, but if Reborn didn't want to tell him, then he wouldn't ask. He respected the other's privacy.

But…telling him to stay with someone he didn't know? Well, that was new. Reborn knew about the brunet's problems with people in general. He has a case of anthropophobia. This Fon person must be trustworthy if the Italian's letting him take care of Tsuna.

The brunet's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Reborn told him to take the bus. The _bus_! That sadistic demon knew that he couldn't take being in a place filled with people. He sighed. The Italian could have at least driven him to his new living arrangements.

But, _no_. Reborn actually dragged him all the way to the bus stop, shoved a piece of paper and a small package in his arms, before turning away, leaving the brunet dumbfounded.

Even after that, the brunet still knew that the Italian cared for his safety. If the small package containing pepper spray that was shoved into him didn't prove that, nothing will. He chuckled lightly at the thought.

_Well now._

He glanced back at his watch. _10:15 am. _Still a few minutes more before his stop. He opened his bag and rummaged through the contents, bringing out a book of famous paintings. He flipped through the pages before stopping on an impressionist painting of water lilies.

He wasn't one for art, but he always found himself attracted to Monet's works.

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><p>Tsuna stepped off the bus, his backpack hanging on his shoulder. He stared, taking in the sight before him. Namimori was a town and not a city, which was good. <em>Towns are less crowded than cities<em>. He turned to look at his surroundings. The place seemed pleasant enough. There were greeneries here and there, and the air felt cool. He smiled. He might actually come to like it here.

He fumbled through his pockets and retrieved a small slip of paper. Written on it in pretty cursive handwriting was an address. Fon-san's address…

The brunet held the paper tightly in his grasp. He stared at it for a while, huffed, and then made his way to look for his new temporary _'home'_.

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><p>He just couldn't believe his luck.<p>

The brunet growled and inwardly cursed his unlucky stars.

He got off the bus at around _10:30_ and has been walking around since then, in an attempt to find the apartment where he'll be staying at. The time now read _11:45_.

Within that hour, he managed to lose the slip of paper with the address, get chased around by a bunch of dogs, get scared by a large group of children, _and_ get himself lost.

He sighed. It was a good thing he wasn't robbed or something. But considering his luck, he'd rather not take any chances. All this time, the brunet had tried to avoid people by taking the back streets. Now that he has lost the written address, he wasn't so sure it would be the right course of action to take. Add to that that he's lost in an unfamiliar place. The only thing he could do now is to ask for directions. There can't be many people with the name Fon. Hopefully, he'll come across someone who knows the guy.

He pulled at his brunet locks in frustration. Breathing in a huge gulp of air, he turned towards the more _crowded_ area of the town. He gulped. The _shopping center_. Hopefully, he'll come out of this unscathed. Asking for directions…

How hard could it be?

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><p>Okay, so it wasn't as easy as he originally thought hit would be.<p>

Tsuna has been walking amongst the crowd for five minutes. Five _stinking_ minutes and he was already at his limit. The brunet was hyperventilating. He couldn't keep the fear and anxiety rising to his chest. His body was trembling and he was having trouble breathing. He was having a massive panic attack.

"Oh my, are you okay?"

He was vaguely aware of the person standing in front of him. His mind was growing dizzy by the second. Was it a woman? The voice sounded like that of a girl…

"You look a bit pale. Are you sick? Should I help you to the hospital?" The voice was laced with concern, but the brunet took no notice of it.

Tsuna furrowed his brows, trying to hear himself think over the buzzing sound in his ears. What was he supposed to do again? Oh yeah. Directions…

"Can…ask…directions…" He mumbled the words. It was so hard to breath. His grip on his bag tightened.

"Eh?" The unknown person tried to steady him. He flinched at the touch.

"Fon…san's…house…"

Then everything went black.

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><p><strong>AN: **This is more or less an introductory chapter for Tsuna. :3 The story will probably officially start at the next chapter. Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it! :D Please tell me your thoughts regarding this. I'll be more than happy if you readers criticize my work. :3 It'll help me improve in areas which I'm no good at. :D

Oh yeah, to those who don't know:

**Anthropophobia **is the exaggerated or irrational fear of people and large groups of people. :3


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**Hey there! I must say, I really shouldn't be doing this now. I'm supposed to be acting like a good student and actually making an effort to study for my quizzes next week. Instead, I spent the day writing this up. Haha. XD It's past 12 midnight and I'm still awake while the rest of the world is sleeping. My mom would kill me. Definitely. :)

Thanks a lot for the alerts and the reviews! They make me so, _so_ happy! :D

Special mention to **hotCarameLsaucE**! Haha, yeah I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you know that I know who you are. :D Likewise, when I read your review, I could imagine hearing you saying that to my face in your _shimmering girly_ voice. Haha, nah just kidding. Thank you for the review! I'm ecstatic that you like this story. ^^ Since you read this, you have to keep reading this all the way through, okay? :D

Anyway, here's Chapter 3 of Canvas. Hope you all like it! :D Please enjoy~

**Disclaimer: **I own this as much as I own Disneyland and the moon.

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><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

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><p><em>-Chapter 3-<em>

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><p><em>11:50 a.m.<em>

Fon poured himself a fresh cup of tea before making his way to the fairly comfortable-looking couch situated at one part of the living room. He settled on the couch, the cushions dipping slightly from his weight, and allowed himself to get comfy. He slumped in his seat while carefully balancing the cup in his hands, making sure not to spill a drop of the hot liquid.

It would surely hurt if he did.

He brought up the steaming cup to his lips and blew at the misty vapor. The trail of smoke curled into intricate figures before completely dispersing into the air. Inhaling the familiar scent brought by the beverage, he shifted his eyes to glance down at the golden liquid before taking a sip. The warm fluid felt soothing as it travelled down his throat. He sighed in satisfaction.

_Oolong__…_

The Chinese has always preferred Oolong out of the many varieties of tea produced in his home country. He loved its rich and versatile flavor –earthy and nutty yet sweet and flowery. Its taste lies somewhere between the renowned Black and Green teas; less sweet then Black, and less grassier than Green. It has a darker and richer flavor than Black, and a lighter flavor than Green…

_Oolong tea, literally __the Black Dragon tea._ Fon smiled while fingering the now half-empty cup in his hands. He couldn't help but think how suitable its name was.

His lips pulled slightly into a small frown. It was sad, though. No matter how many times he tried, for some reason or other, he could never manage to brew the tea perfectly. Not that what he makes tasted awful. Oh no, he is proud of the fact that he has amazing tea-brewing abilities. The taste just wasn't up to par with what he was accustomed to drinking back when he was still in China. He smiled a small smile as his thoughts were filled with memories of his beloved motherland.

He languidly eyed his surroundings, nodding to himself in contentment. It was hard, but he was finally able to do it. The day before, he spent the whole afternoon cleaning the room, working late into the night. Finally, he had managed to at least make his living room habitable. He didn't realize how messy the state of the room actually was until he cleaned up after himself, almost breaking his back scrubbing the paint-stained floorboards. He did his best and the room does look better now.

_It'll do..._

Taking a long sip, he downed the rest of the warm liquid before setting the cup on the coffee table across from him. Dark colored eyes landed on the small package beside his empty cup. It was a simple brown paper bag, sealed shut with scotch tape and staples. Lying next to it was a single unsigned white envelope.

Both the package and the letter were delivered to his apartment home along with Tsunayoshi's, his new charge's, luggage about an hour ago. They were left to sit on the antique table as Fon turned his attention to the suitcases, deciding that their presence in his living room was more of a pressing matter, before dragging them to the guest bedroom down the hall. They were long forgotten after that…until now, that is.

He slowly reached for the envelope, shifting in his seat before once again collapsing on the soft cushions. He held the letter in his hands, one long slender finger tracing the outline of the sealed flap. He turned it around, noting that it was indeed blank, and then proceeded to tear off the side. From the inside of the envelope was a neatly folded piece of white paper. On it was his name, written in familiar elegant cursive hand-writing.

It was Reborn's.

Raising a delicate brow in question, he opened the folds and stared at the content, his eyes moving in fluid motion as he scanned the text.

_Ciaossu._

_You might be wondering about the package. Inside you will find a bottle of medicine. I want you to keep it for emergency purposes. No matter what you do, do __not__ hand it over to Tsuna. Under any circumstances. The brat might throw it away or something. I swear, he'd rather die than take his medication. Then again, I really couldn't blame him._

_But if the situation __calls for it, I give you the permission to shove it down his throat. In fact, I insist._

_I sent him to your apartment at around 7 a.m. on a bus. He should be arriving there soon._

_I'll be keeping in touch. _

_P.S. If the kid asks, tell him I'm skinny-dipping at the Atlantic with some buddies. _

_Reborn_

Fon bit back the laugh that almost erupted from his throat as he read the last line. _Skinny-dipping? _Surely the Italian knew that no one who knew him would actually believe such a lie. He chuckled at the thought of Reborn doing such an activity. It was much too out of character for the man.

He picked up the brown paper bag and patiently pulled off the pieces of tape and staples one by one, opening it to reveal the inside. Sure enough, it contained a small bottle of pills. He held the bottle loosely in his grasp, eyeing the label.

'_Vongola.'_

It piqued his curiosity. What did Tsunayoshi need beta blockers for?

He briefly pondered on the thought before deciding to put away the bottled pills. The Chinese strode over to the small medicine cabinet located in the kitchen and placed the bottle among the many common household medicines, label facing forward. He would ask Tsunayoshi about it when he arrives.

He stopped in his tracks on his way back to the couch. _Where was Tsunayoshi anyway? _According to Reborn's letter, the kid left for his apartment at around _7:00 a.m._ He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. _12:15 p.m._ That was 5 hours ago. At most, the bus trip to Namimori takes 4 hours. His brows furrowed and he frowned, worry flooding his being. _He couldn't have gotten lost, could he?_

He exhaled slowly, calming himself. He was known for being the calm one amongst his small circle of friends. He wouldn't panic over something without having sound basis. He shouldn't jump to conclusions, but he had to make sure of Tsunayoshi's safety.

He could search for the boy…though he didn't exactly know how he looked like.

The Chinese let out a sigh as he made his way to the door, his long braided hair swinging behind him with every step he took. _No matter. There's more than one way to skin a cat. _

He turned the knob and swung the door open, only to come face to face with a raised hand positioned into a knock and a pair of azure eyes.

* * *

><p>Fon blinked as he stared at the woman standing before him. Short cerulean hair framed her pretty face, the longer strands tied back into a low pony tail. Her lips were positioned into a small smile. Under her left eye was a small yet <em>very<em> attention-grabbing clover-shape mark.

He could recognize his friend anywhere.

"Luce."

The woman nodded, smile still in place. "Hello, Fon." She cast a quick glance to the side before facing the Chinese again. "Um, could you please lend me a hand with…er…" She trailed off, and then motioned with her hand to her side. The pleasant expression on her face was marred with a hint of uncertainty. She glanced back to the side.

Fon raised his brow in question. He stared at her quizzically before following her gaze. That's when he saw the mop of brunet hair.

Settled on the tiled floor was the unconscious figure of a young man, a boy. He was leaning on the wall, which was preventing him from toppling over. The boy donned a casual attire of jeans and a hooded shirt, and although he was in an unconscious state, his hands were tightly clutching an orange backpack. He looked peaceful, but the fact that his face was almost drained of all color cannot be overlooked.

Fon walked over to the boy, going down on his knees to properly place his hands in a carrying position. He stood up, the boy held firmly in his arms in bridal position. He mentally noted how light the brunet was.

He cast a questioning glance at Luce as he made his way into his apartment, the woman following suit. Luce grinned, amusement showing in her eyes. She opened her mouth to answer Fon's unvoiced question.

"I dragged him here."

* * *

><p>"I must say, Fon, you did a marvelous job of cleaning up the place. It's still a bit messy, but compared to how it looked like before, it's currently looking splendid!"<p>

Luce was grinning as she inspected every corner of the now not-so-messy living room. She looked particularly amazed that the furniture can actually be _seen_ and _used_ now.

Fon couldn't help but smile at his friend's antics. He moved towards the couch, gently placing the brunet on the soft cushions. Leaning over, he brushed away a few bangs from the boy's face. He stared at him for a few seconds, studying his features. Seeing his face clearly now, he found the boy adorable. He pulled back as he heard the sound of Luce's voice. "You actually managed to get the paint stains off the floorboards!"

The Chinese turned around to face his friend. He gestured towards the kitchen before making his way there.

"Would you care for some tea?" Fon said as he smiled. He watched as Luce took a seat on one of the chairs surrounding the dining table.

Luce slowly shook her head politely. "Not today, Fon." She smiled as she continued. "Don't get me wrong! You know I love your tea. But I think we should keep this short." She was smiling pleasantly as she clasped her hands together on top of the table.

Fon nodded, and then he took his seat directly across from her. "Very well, then. Let's get straight to the point."

"About the boy…I don't know him. I was wondering if you could tell me who he is." Luce started as she stared at the Chinese in the eye.

He looked at her in question, his dark onyx eyes calculating.

Azure eyes held slight amusement as she thought back to their encounter. "I happened to bump into him at the shopping center earlier today, a couple of minutes ago. I was worried, you know. He looked so frail and scared. He was sweating a lot too. I asked him if he was alright. He looked ready to pass out at any given second. He was mumbling something; I only managed to make out what he said last before he fainted."

Fon gestured for her to continue.

She brought a hand to her chin in thought. "If I remember correctly, I think he said 'Fon-san's house', or something similar to that. So I brought him here. Or rather, I dragged him here. He was so light too! I could probably carry…"

Narrow eyes widened slightly. He wasn't listening now. He quickly stood up from his chair, mildly surprising his guest at the sudden movement. Thoughts about looking for his charge suddenly flashed through his mind. He took a quick glance towards the living room. _It was indeed possible… _

"Fon?" Luce cast him a questioning look. Her face said it all. She wanted an explanation of sorts for the man's actions.

Fon opened his mouth to answer when –

_Crash! _

They both turned their heads to the source of the noise, and promptly started running to the direction of the living room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **What do you think so far? :D I really couldn't think up of any name for medicine so I just went with Vongola. XP Haha. Thank you for reading this chapter. :D I would be even more grateful if you leave me reviews and criticisms that would eat my guts. :3 Till next time~

To those who doesn't know…

**Beta blockers **are medicine used for relieving performance anxiety. They block the flow of adrenaline that occurs when you're anxious, controlling physical symptoms such as shaking, sweaty hands, etc. :3


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Hello! I'm so happy that there are people adding this story to their favorites. :D Thank you so much for the alerts! But most of all, thank you for the reviews! They are what keep me going even after suffering hell week from school. I think the teachers actually conspire against us students. Ugh.

Anyway, here's the fourth chapter of Canvas! I tried my best to make this chapter longer, but sadly this all I could do. I hope it's alright. :D Please enjoy~

**Disclaimer: **I think it's pretty much the same thing as wishing for a unicorn for your 7th Birthday. Sigh…

* * *

><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

* * *

><p><em>-Chapter 4-<em>

* * *

><p>He found that he couldn't move. His legs would not respond to him no matter how much he wanted to break out into a run; to escape from it all. He could feel himself starting to get nauseous, his heart palpitating wildly in his chest. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as he gulped hungrily for air. He hugged himself tightly and closed his eyes shut, only to be greeted with horrifying images in his mind.<p>

He felt sick. It was _so_ hard to breathe.

Darkness surrounded him. He couldn't see anything, and yet he still felt them. Hundreds, no, _millions_ of them. He could feel the countless number of eyes penetrating through him, tearing him to pieces. He screamed for them to stop. He begged and pleaded for them to go away, for them to stop staring at him. But the pointed stares remained, watching his every move.

His breath hitched. He was so, _so_ scared. He couldn't take anymore of it.

Muffled voices resounded throughout his surroundings, growing in volume with each passing second. They were closing in on him now. It was suffocating him.

_No!_

Hundreds of shadowy figures circled around him, trapping him with their hateful glares, enclosing him, choking him.

He shrunk back, cowering in fear. Terror overwhelmed his entire being. His mind was a mess. _I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared…_

The shadows still crept closer and closer, enveloping him in darkness, hands reaching out to grab him. He screamed, but no sound came out. Nobody could hear his cries for help.

_No! Stay away!_

_::_

A pair of eyes snapped open revealing two wide caramel-colored orbs. He was breathing heavily, and his heartbeat was moving at an incredible rate. He propped himself up with one arm, putting up his other hand to his face, willing himself to calm down. He attempted to even out his breathing.

_It's__ just a dream, just a dream…nothing but a stupid dream…_

He chanted the thoughts in his head over and over like a mantra, reassuring himself that everything was fine. After a few seconds, his heartbeat finally returned to normal. He sighed, closing his eyes. As soon as his eyes closed though, images from his _nightmare_ flashed before him. He jolted up, clutching his chest; eyes wide in fear and panic.

He clenched his hand and bit on his whitened knuckles. He wasn't new to having nightmares. He thought he was used to it, as it was a frequent occurrence due to his _illness. _But he's never been this _afraid_ of a dream before. What's more is that this time, his dream felt so…_real_…

He truly felt scared out of his wits end.

Tsuna shook his head at the thought. He brought up his hands to pull at his brunet locks. He should just forget all about it. The dream was most likely the result of his reckless decision to ask for directions at a place teeming with _people. _He shuddered at the terrible memory. That was a moment of sheer stupidity for him. What kind of sane anthropophobic person would willingly subject himself to such torture?

Feeling a whole lot better, he finally turned his head to glance at his surroundings.

He was in a living room of sorts, lying on a couch. An empty cup was left sitting on the surface of the coffee table in front of him. The room smelt faintly of a mixture of tea and…was that oil paint? It was odd, but he found himself liking the weird combination of scents.

_Where am I?_ The place was unfamiliar, that was for sure. He remembered his frightful endeavor at the shopping center, but, everything's hazy after that. What happened? How did he get here? He continued to glance around the room until his eyes landed on the wall to his side.

That particular wall held a number of paintings. There were around seven to ten of them. It only took one look for him to feel a sort of attraction for the painted pictures. He gingerly stood up from his position on the sofa and took small steps closer to get a better look.

The brunet openly gawked at the paintings. They were paintings of different landscapes. Some, he noticed were sceneries found in Japan. They were breathtaking. He could almost reach out and walk into them.

He looked at the painting closest to him. It was of a park, probably painted during sunset, what with its shadowy appearance and color choices of red, purple, and blue for the sky. Soft, thin brush strokes were visible, and different colors appear to be applied side-by-side, leaving the impression of little to no mixing or blending. He was briefly reminded of Monet's paintings. The only difference was that no matter how impressionist the techniques used seemed to be, the paintings were painted in such great detail.

He trailed his eyes to the bottom right corner of the canvas. Painted in small elegant writing was the letter 'F'. He checked the other paintings and noted that the others too were marked with the same signature. Every painting was painted by the same person. He briefly pondered on the thought as to why he has never heard of such a talented person before. Not that he was ever into art in the first place, but Japan's a small country as it is. Absentmindedly, he began tracing the painted letter with his finger.

His finger froze as he became aware of the muffled voices in the background. Memories of his dream returned full-force. The feeling of dread bubbled in his stomach. _He wasn't alone._

He stumbled back in a state of panic, accidentally falling onto the small table. The cup was sent flying at the impact. It crashed on the floor, breaking into tiny pieces. He squeezed himself against the couch, not minding the stinging sensation of the bleeding cuts he got from the ceramic shards. His breathing felt constricted as he heard the approaching footsteps.

He braced himself for what was to come.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the scene, Fon couldn't help but to stop and stare at the small creature before him. The brunet was cowering on the floor, pushing his back against the couch. Wide caramel eyes were looking at them with evident fear. The Chinese couldn't help but be reminded of a frightened bunny at the sight. He looked so much like a <em>small<em> frightened but adorable-looking bunny staring at a predator as if expecting to be eaten at any given time.

He looked so _weak_.

"Oh my."

Luce's voice brought him out of his musings. Fon watched as she stepped closer towards the boy, long cerulean hair trailing behind her. He followed suit without delay.

Tsuna continued to stare at the strangers before him with wide unblinking eyes as they walked closer. His mouth felt dry. Countless thoughts plagued his mind, none fitting the criterion of 'safe'. He felt himself trembling. He could be the victim of a kidnapping for all he knew. They'll probably torture him, kill him, and then dance around his lifeless body before they open him up and slice his corpse into tiny bits and pieces, organs and all, while it's still fresh. Then they'll feed him to the dogs. If his captors are _cannibals_, then they'll most likely feast on him themselves…

The woman reached him first, a smile gracing her lips. He blinked at that. Do kidnappers usually look this friendly? Do they smile at you before they eat your _brains_?

The mental picture terrified him far too greatly. He couldn't stop the whispered words that unconsciously slipped from his mouth.

"Please don't eat me."

The boy's tone was laced with fear, and Fon was taken aback at the peculiar statement. He glanced towards Luce and found that she, too, was caught off-guard. Neither of the two expected the words that came out of the brunet's mouth. They shared looks of amusement and broke out into silent laughter, before turning back to the small bunny –er, boy.

"Ara? What makes you think that we were going to eat you?" Luce smiled gently and crouched down to the boy's eye-level.

Tsuna relaxed slightly at the gentle tone of the woman before him. She somewhat reminded him of his mother. Somehow, he knew that the woman would do him no harm, and yet, he just couldn't get rid of his fear. He really couldn't stand being in close proximity with people. Any closer and he'll probably have to puke.

"I'm called Luce. And you are?" Luce smiled warmly and extended her hand in greeting. Tsuna flinched at the sudden movement, recoiling to the edge of the sofa as far away from the woman as possible.

He looked back and saw that the woman appeared unperturbed by his actions. He replied in a small voice. "Sawada Tsunayoshi…"

Fon perked at that. So his assumption was correct. He sighed in relief. "So you're Tsunayoshi." He watched with interest as the brunet turned to him, taking notice of his presence. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He smiled tenderly at the boy as he shortened the distance between them. "I'm so glad that you're safe. I was about to go out to look for you, though I didn't really have any inkling as to how you looked like."

"Eh?"

Tsuna gaped at the Chinese-looking man before him. His terrified eyes showed confusion. Was he someone the man knew?

Fon's smile never left its place. "Ah, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Fon." The Chinese bowed slightly in courtesy.

The brunet's eyes widened in recognition. _Fon-san? _So this is the person he'll be living with for the meantime…

Luce watched the interaction between the two, a small smile tugging on her lips. She spoke up, clasping her hands together, deciding to join in on the conversation. "Ara? So you two know each other?"

Fon turned to speak to her. "In a way, yes. Reborn left Tsunayoshi here in my care for the time being." He said, gesturing towards the small brunet. "He was late at arriving, so I got a little worried." He stared at the brunet expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

Tsuna squirmed beneath the gaze. Finally, he answered in a soft voice barely above a whisper. "I-I got lost…"

"Oh my! No wonder you were looking so scared back there. Luckily I bumped into you, then. I got worried when you suddenly fainted, so I dragged you back here. You were so light, Tsunayoshi-kun. I think you need to eat more." Luce smiled at him warmly. "Are you feeling better now?"

The brunet glanced up at the friendly woman and then nodded in response. "T-thank you…Luce-san…"

Luce simply waved her hand off, dismissing the gratitude. "No need, Tsunayoshi-kun. A friend of Fon and Reborn's is also a friend of mine. Please just call me Luce."

Tsuna stared uncertainly at her for a while before nodding. Luce beamed at that. She stood up and stretched her cramped legs. She then turned towards the door. "Well then, I must say, it has been quite the eventful day, hasn't it, Fon?" She looked back at the Chinese man with a very amused expression.

Fon chuckled slightly before answering with the same light tone. "Indeed."

"I shall be taking my leave then. It's been a pleasure meeting you Tsunayoshi-kun!" She glanced at the clock hanging on the nearby wall. "It seems I'm late for my appointment." Taking a step forward, she looked back one last time to say her good-byes, before she disappeared behind the closed door.

As soon as the door closed, Fon turned to look at Tsuna. Noticing the other staring, the brunet quickly shied away from the gaze. Fon's brows furrowed slightly as he stepped closer to the boy, his eyes fixated on the brunet's hand. It only took him a few short strides before he reached the young man's side.

At the sudden intrusion of his personal space, Tsuna reflexively jumped to the side in shock, accidentally bumping into the coffee table. He hit his head, _hard_.

"Ow…"

Taking advantage of the situation, Fon reached out to grab a hold of the brunet's hand. He held it gently in his own, inspecting the bleeding cuts. He glanced around and finally took notice of the pile of broken shards scattered on the floor. That probably was what caused the crashing sound earlier.

Tsuna found himself panicking at the closeness of the older man. The feeling of dread overrode the pain he felt from having hit his head at the wooden coffee table. Without thinking, he quickly slapped away the hands that held his and scrambled away. He hugged himself as he tried to calm his racing heart. _Breathe…Breathe…_

Fon looked at him with worry. "Are you okay, Tsunayoshi?" He tried to move closer towards the frightened brunet, but froze in his spot as he noticed the boy flinch at his movement. He spoke more softly than before. "We need to treat those cuts." He reached out his hand tentatively but was once again pushed away.

"Please stay away from me." Tsuna's voice was hoarse, and his voice faltered a little, alerting the other of his _fear_.

The Chinese narrowed his eyes in thought. The puzzle pieces were piecing together in place. He thought back on the beta-blockers hidden in his medicine cabinet and of Reborn's note. He finally understood what they were for. Sighing, he schooled his expression into a small smile.

"We still need to treat those, Tsunayoshi. Reborn sent me some medicine. Do you want me to get them for you?" He asked slowly, awaiting the brunet's reaction.

At the mention of medicine, Tsuna's eyes shot open, looking even more panicked than before. He was sweating down buckets now. He quickly scrambled to his feet, maintaining a safe distance away from the older man.

"N-no! I'm fine!" He waved his hands frantically in front of him. "I don't need them! I'll just treat myself!"

Fon raised a brow at that, but decided to let it go. He smiled at the boy standing in front of him. "Well then, let me show you to your room. Your luggage has already been brought there." He motioned for the brunet to follow him towards the bedrooms. Tsuna nodded, and then bent down to pick up his orange backpack from the ground. It was left lying on the floor the entire time. He soon followed behind the taller man towards the direction of the hallway.

Fon stopped in front of a normal-looking door. Upon closer inspection, it was engraved with small Chinese characters. Tsuna stared at them with mild fascination. He couldn't tell what they meant, but they intrigued him. The Chinese opened the door and stepped back to allow the other entrance. "This will be your room for the time that you'll be staying here. If ever you need me, my room's just across from yours." He pointed to the door opposite the room they were in. "You can come to me at any time." Fon smiled as he stepped out of the room. "You could unpack your luggage if you want. I'll come back with the first aid kit for your wounds."

The door closed. Silence engulfed the room.

Tsuna sighed as he glanced around his new bedroom. It looked fairly comfortable, with the medium-sized bed and the small seating area beside a wooden bookcase. The curtains were closed, creating an eerie shadowy atmosphere inside, but he didn't bother to open the lights. He noticed his luggage on the floor. He really should unpack now, though he wasn't really in the mood for it. Sighing once again, he decided that he would just do it later. He glanced towards the bed. For now, he should rest.

He kicked off his shoes and jumped into the bed, savoring the crisp feel of freshly washed bed covers on his skin. He curled his body in a fetal position and drifted off into much needed sleep.

* * *

><p>Fon was standing outside Tsuna's bedroom door, the first aid kit held securely in his hand. He raised his free hand to knock on the door.<p>

_Knock. Knock. _

There was no answer.

He raised his brow at the lack of response. _Weird_.

"Tsunayoshi?"

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

The knocking echoed throughout the empty hallway and still, there was no answer. Fon tried his hand at the doorknob and found that it was open. He slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark room. When his eyes finally adjusted at the dimness, he smiled at the sight before him.

The brunet was curled up on top of the bed, sleeping peacefully. His chest was slowly rising and falling in even breathing. This was the first time he has seen the brunet looking so relaxed, as if without a care in the world. He walked towards the bed, stopping to stand at the side. Fon reached down to brush away a few stray bangs from the boy's face, tucking them behind his ear.

He took less than a minute to think before he gently sat down next to the sleeping brunet, taking the wounded hand in his. He opened the first aid kit and slowly started to treat the small cuts.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **A bit of FonxTsuna moment at the end. :3 Hope you liked it! Please tell me your opinions regarding the progression of the story. And I was serious when I said that you could leave me gut-eating criticisms. I really feel that they would help me grow as an author. I welcome them with open arms! XD

Hope you'll leave me a review! :3 See you on the next chapter~


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I've been busy for a while so I haven't been able to update. Thankfully, the first part of a series of hellish exams is finally over and I'm able to be active in fanfiction again, at least for a while. I'm really grateful for the people who left me reviews. Reading their reviews helped me get through hell. :))

Anyway, this is the fifth installment of Canvas. Hope you enjoy reading~ :3

(By the way, I only just discovered the Traffic Stats button, and honestly, I got mixed emotions when I saw how many hits this story has :-\ )

**Disclaimer: **When the time comes that my dream of world domination is fulfilled, I _will _own KHR. *smiles*

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><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

* * *

><p><em>-Chapter 5-<em>

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><p><em>There was movement in the room. <em>

Tsuna could feel someone touching his wounded hand. He could feel the gentle hands touch his, applying some sort of ointment that felt cool on his skin. It felt really nice and he didn't find any reason to pull away. He relaxed on the hold and allowed the person to continue with whatever he was doing, whoever he was. Moments later, he felt something akin to cloth being wrapped around his open palm. What was it? Bandages?

He couldn't make sure of it. He turned his body a little, causing the gentle hands to stiffen slightly on its hold. The brunet tried to open his drowsy eyes, but then closed them again only a second later. He felt much too sleepy. He couldn't bring himself to completely break away from the inviting world of sleep just yet. As he was losing consciousness, he was vaguely aware of a pair of hands that covered his body with the warm comfy blanket and the color of onyx. In the background, he could faintly hear the echo of retreating footsteps.

_::_

The brunet huddled closer to his pillow and wrapped the blanket tighter around his body. He furrowed his brows and attempted to bury his face on the pillow. Why was it so bright? Seconds later, he finally conceded and slowly forced his eyes open, only to be greeted with the blinding light of the sun's morning rays creeping from behind the curtains. He blinked a few times before his eyes got used to the sudden brightness. Grudgingly, he pulled his body away from the comforts of bed and opted instead to sit cross-legged, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The mattress dipped slightly in his weight. His spiky hair jutted out in every direction. He looked over his surroundings and took a moment to realize where he was. He let out a sigh as he thought back on the events that occurred the day before.

He doesn't know how he would face Fon-san.

Tsuna suddenly caught sight of his left hand. He was expecting to see a very much wounded body part covered in cuts and bluish-red colored bruises after having neglected treating it the night before. He was surprised to find his hand neatly wrapped in white bandages. He held it in his right hand and allowed his fingers to trace along the textured cloth. He was so sure he wasn't the one who treated his wounds. But then who did? Vague images of a pair of hands covering him with a blanket and beautiful onyx eyes entered his thoughts. He blinked long and hard. So that wasn't a dream?

He sighed once again and pulled at his messy brunet locks with his uninjured hand. _Great. _Not only did he cause trouble for Fon-san yesterday, the Chinese also had to treat his wounds for him because he fell asleep. _Just great._

He took one more glance at his bandaged hand before he climbed off the bed and started making it as neatly as he can, fluffing the pillow, smoothening out the bed sheet, and tucking in the blanket. He turned to look at the small alarm clock on top of a wooden side table beside the bed. The time read _7:30_. It was still much too early. If he was at home with his parents, he wouldn't wake up until noon if it was summer vacation.

He knelt down in front of his luggage and unzipped it open, rummaging through the articles of clothing inside, looking for something to change into. The rest of the morning, he busied himself with putting his new room in order.

_::_

Wide caramel eyes stared long and hard at the wooden door in front of him, his hand inching towards the doorknob ever so slowly. He gulped. It was now or never. The moment of truth.

He has stalled for far too long already. He avoided going out his room in the guise of unpacking his luggage and setting his room straight. Not that he didn't do those things, oh no, he really did do them. It's just that it wasn't really necessary for him to do _everything_ at one time. He really just wanted to avoid seeing his Chinese guardian. But no matter how much his mind and body protested, he still has to go and thank Fon-san. It was the right thing to do, and he wasn't one without morals. He inhaled and exhaled slowly before pushing open his bedroom door. He moved his right leg forward and took his first step out of the room, out of his safe haven.

The door closed behind him with a click. Tsuna leant his whole weight on the wooden door and heaved a sigh.

_So far so good._

His eyes landed on the door directly a few meters in front of him. He wondered if Fon-san was still sleeping, though he doubted it as it was already close to noon time. But still, it wouldn't hurt to make sure if the older man was still inside his room. The brunet slowly walked towards the door and readied himself for whatever he was getting himself into. He knocked a few times on the door.

"A-ano…F-fon-san?"

There was no answer so he tried knocking once more. Still, it was silent at the other side of the door. A sudden small burst of courage prompted him to try opening the door. He turned the doorknob and found the door unlocked. He pushed the door open just a crack and peered inside. There was no one there.

He hung his head low and just decided to give up. He slowly trudged towards the living room after shutting the door close. On one hand, he hoped that he would find the older man there; on the other, he dreaded the moment when he would have to engage in conversation and be in the same room as him.

Tsuna expected to find the Chinese sitting idly on the couch, so when he arrived at the room and saw no hint of any human presence, he felt a huge wave of both relief and disappointment. He walked towards the couch and sat on the exact same spot that he woke up in the day before. He ran his hand across the surface of the velvety furniture.

A single piece of paper on top of the coffee table immediately caught his attention. He leaned forward and picked it up between his fingers. He slowly turned it over and read its contents. The note was written in a hurried scribble, but it still looked elegant. He raised his brow at that.

_Tsunayoshi,_

_I stepped out for a bit to buy groceries. I realized just now that I haven't gotten to stocking up on supplies yet. I would probably be back in a few hours at most. If you feel hungry, feel free to look in the kitchen._

_Please look after the apartment for me while I'm gone._

_Fon._

Well that answered his question. Tsuna carefully placed the piece of paper back on the coffee table and paid it no more heed. He sighed and turned his attention to the beautiful paintings mounted on the wall. He traced the painted pictures with his eyes and looked as if he was committing the images to memory. The painting of the park caught his interest once more, and he wondered if something so pretty could be found in small country Japan.

Only a few minutes have passed and yet Tsuna's already bored as hell. He has been studying the paintings to keep himself occupied but the constant ticking of the clock and the sickening silence of the room unnerved him to no end. He allowed himself to fall on his back onto the comfortable couch. He raised his arm and covered his eyes with it to shield his vision from the light. In his mind, he tried rehearsing his lines for when he has to talk to Fon-san.

His eyes fluttered open and immediately sat up into a sitting position. Tentatively, he cast a quick glance to the wall clock and found that he has fallen asleep for a good hour or so. That explained why he felt so hungry. He hasn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. His stomach rumbled at the thought and he wondered how he has gotten through the morning fixing his room without having anything to eat. Sighing, he picked himself up and walked towards the kitchen. Hopefully, he'll be able to find something to fix himself a meal with.

* * *

><p>The front door opened and in came a man dressed in red long-sleeved traditional Chinese clothing. He shut the door behind him and carried the heavy groceries into the room. He blew at his bangs. That was the last time he'll ever go grocery shopping on a big sale day. Women are <em>frightening<em> in the face of cheaper goods. He shivered at the thought.

Fon scanned the living room and found that no one was there. Either the brunet probably hasn't woken up yet or has holed himself up in his room. His lips pressed into a thin line. He wondered how he should go about in conversing with the child. With what he has seen yesterday, the boy was not someone keen on having anyone near him. His thoughts wandered to the phone conversation he had with Reborn only a few days ago.

_You'll probably come to like him. He's a good boy, if not a bit timid. He'll have to get used to you anyway._

He mentally cursed Reborn in his head. The Italian never said that the extent of his timidity was bordering anthropophobia. That didn't make it any easier for him. Reborn really meant what he said _literally_. He just hopes that sooner or later, Tsunayoshi would start feeling comfortable around him.

Fon smiled to himself. Really, he's already taken quite a bit of liking to the boy. He'll just have to be patient and wait for the brunet to open up to him.

He tossed his house keys onto the coffee table and walked over towards the kitchen to deposit the groceries he has bought. He raised his brow at the faint noises in the background, sounding like something akin to clattering of metal. When he reached the entryway to the kitchen, his narrow eyes widened a fraction at the sight he was greeted with. He unceremoniously dropped the heavy groceries to the tiled floor and sprinted forward.

_Tsunayoshi!_

_::_

Tsuna looked up to find that all the cooking ware was placed at the topmost portion of the kitchen cabinet. This is one of the times that he openly cursed his vertically challenged self. What he would give just to grow a few inches taller. Sighing in frustration, he pulled over a chair and climbed on top of it. Good. Just a few more centimeters and he'll reach the pans. He fumbled through the wares in search for what he would need, a good sized wok and a few others. He winced at the loud clattering of metal.

Just as he was about to pull out the wok, the chair wobbled underneath him and toppled over. He shut his eyes tightly and braced himself for the impact of the fall as he fell over backwards.

He heard the chair crash on the floor and expected himself to follow suit. Yet the pain never came. Huh? He opened an eye and peeked out to his surroundings. _Soft. _Why was the ground soft? He came face to face with a pair of onyx eyes looking at him worriedly. Fon-san had his arms wrapped around him protectively and had cushioned his fall.

His face paled instantly at the close proximity. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his breathing became labored.

"Tsunayoshi! Are you alright? That was some fall."

He was getting nauseous. His stomach lurched forward.

"Tsunayoshi?"

The next thing he did made his eyes widen in utter mortification and scramble away from the Chinese man.

He vomited.

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><p>Fon held his clothing underneath the running water flowing from the sink. He made sure to clean out any mess so as to avoid staining later on.<p>

He chuckled lightly to himself. Well, that was mighty unexpected. It's not everyday someone throws up on you and faints shortly right after the deed. He walked out of the bathroom and brought out a change of clothing from his wardrobe. He settled with the purple one, still cut in the same style as the one he wore before, only with a different design.

When he arrived back at the kitchen, he didn't expect to see the brunet up and about. He stood underneath the doorway in silence and watched as the petite brunet went about preparing dishes.

Tsuna stopped in the middle of placing a plate of food down on the dining table as he caught sight of the older man. He fidgeted at the gaze directed at him and hung his head low to avoid eye contact.

"Um…P-please have a seat."

Fon smiled warmly at the younger boy. At least he wasn't going to be ignored as he first thought he would be. He walked over towards the table and took a seat. A plate was placed in front of him and soon after, Tsuna too sat down with his own plate, at the _other end_ of the table.

The Chinese held a look of amusement before he started eating. His eyes widened, and then he turned towards the brunet. "You made these?" It was a rhetorical question, but he couldn't help but ask. Tsuna slowly nodded an affirmative.

Fon smiled brightly at him. "It tastes delicious. I must say, you are one amazing cook."

The brunet colored a deep red at the compliment. Silence hung around the room before Tsuna spoke up.

"F-fon-san?"

"Hmm?"

"…"

"T-thank you…for l-last night."

Fon raised his head in time to see the brunet turn away, a light tinge of pink still brushed lightly across his face. He closed his eyes and smiled one of the widest he had in days.

"You're welcome."

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><p><strong>AN: **How was it? :3 I hope people would tell me how they feel about this story. Only a few really does, so I don't know how most people find it. Is it good? Is it bad? Do you find it revolting? Hopefully not, but I still do wish to know about you're thoughts. ^^ And if anybody has any idea of how they want the story to progress, I'm open to suggestions. :D I really do want everybody to enjoy reading this. ^^


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Expect irregular updates. School has been keeping me rather busy lately, and I'm quite a lazy person as well, so yeah. Even if I'm free, I'll probably choose to read fan fiction than update on my stories. Probably. Hope you enjoy reading this chapter. ^^

Extra Note: Thank you so much, Metamorcy! The ideas you suggested were really helpful! :D

**Disclaimer: **Shattered Apocalypse (my partner-in-crime for world domination) and I have been making plans lately, so maybe sometime soon? *cue evil laugh –Hack! Hack!–continuing with laugh*

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><p><strong>Canvas<strong>

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><p><em>-Chapter 6-<em>

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><p>Fon gently covered the petite figure with a blanket and smiled at the sight of the sleeping brunet. He slowly reached out to play with a few strands of the boy's silky hair, fingering them ever so lightly with his fingers. Letting out a small chuckle, he thought back on how cute the sleeping rabbit before him acted a few hours ago.<p>

"_Fon-san?"_

_At his name, the Chinese turned towards the source of the voice reflexively. He stopped going through his supply of art materials and gave his full attention to the quivering brunet at the far end of the room. Inwardly, he felt a bit sad that Tsunayoshi would still choose to stand as far away from him as possible when engaging in conversation. Not letting his thoughts be known, he smiled softly at the boy. _

"_What is it, Tsunayoshi?"_

_Fon watched the brunet as his face immediately colored a light shade of red, reaching up to his ears. He averted his gaze and looked everywhere except at the man seated a distance away from him, attempting to avoid eye contact. He hung his head low and pulled at the ends of his oversized T-shirt. Glancing up for a second, Tsuna spoke in a soft voice._

"_W-what are you doing?"_

_The Chinese blinked a few times before the question registered in his mind. He glanced down at the pile of drawing materials scattered before him, his failed attempt at organizing. He smiled as he reached for a 2B drawing pencil and his sketchbook, bringing them up for the young brunet to see._

"_Well, you see, I was planning on doing some sketches today. I feel that I've been slacking off lately."_

_Fon didn't fail to notice the almost nonexistent widening of the boy's eyes and the split second glance towards the wall sporting the numerous framed paintings. Some of his early works as a painter._

_Tsunayoshi turned to look at him now, though still trying to keep eye contact at a minimum, with what seems to be determination in his caramel colored orbs. His cheeks were still lightly tinted with pink, accentuating his feminine features. _

"_A-ano...If it's not much to ask...C-can I stay here and, um, watch you while you work?" _

_His voice was barely above a whisper and Fon strained to hear what the young lad had said, but he heard nevertheless. The Chinese smiled gently at the awkward brunet._

_Really, how can he find the heart to say no?_

He finally pulled away and went back to his position on the floor. He couldn't blame the boy for falling asleep. Fon knew that there was nothing the least bit interesting in watching someone drawing pictures on white paper for hours. Tsunayoshi was bound to get bored, even if he shook his head furiously from side to side when the older brought it up.

Once on the floor, he reached for the cup of oolong tea he prepared for himself a few hours ago. He completely forgot about it. He took a small sip of the now cold liquid before placing it back on the ground in favor of continuing his unfinished sketch of a picturesque countryside.

Every so often, he would catch himself glancing up towards the brunet sleeping soundly on the couch.

He slowly set down his pencil. Having caught himself staring for the nth time within the last few minutes, he leaned back with both hands supporting his weight and looked at the open page of his sketch pad lying innocently on his lap. The drawn picture was of a grassy plain, with a rustic looking house and a babbling brook to the side. In all honesty, it was coming along quite nicely, though still lacking quite a bit in detail, with which he is currently having problems concentrating on.

Sighing, he let his back completely drop to the ground. He gazed at the intricate crisscrossing patterns on the ceiling for a few minutes before his thoughts wandered back to Tsunayoshi. Thinking back now, it's been two days since the puking incident, and he can see the improvement, albeit small, in the current relationship he has with his anthropophobic charge.

Sure, the brunet still couldn't stand staying no less than two meters from him and still quivered and avoided eye contact as if his life depended on it, but it was mostly due to the graveness of his phobia. There was nothing much they could do about that, lest Tsunayoshi suffers a full blown anxiety attack. But, he was sure that somehow the boy has warmed up to him. He could feel it. That thought brought a smile to his face.

His mind soon travelled to the small bottle of pills in his medicine cabinet. He still has questions regarding the medicine that Reborn left him. Why was Tsunayoshi so against taking it? Surely, it'll help ease his discomfort with people and make socializing more plausible.

After a few minutes of silent musing, Fon pushed himself off the ground and once again sat cross-legged. He picked up his sketch pad and tried to continue on with his work. Much to his chagrin, he still found himself constantly _distracted_. He ran his fingers through his bangs in frustration. This isn't getting him anywhere.

Maybe he should stop for the day.

He was about to close his sketch book when a sudden thought ceased his movements. He glanced up towards the sleeping brunet and stared intently at his angelic face, studying the lines, the contours, the shapes and proper shadings. His dark calculating eyes took in every detail; from the brunet's slightly parted lips to the somewhat puffed up cheeks.

He fingered the edges of his sketch book. He has never drawn people before, though. He always preferred sketching or painting nature and landscapes.

Shaking his head, he turned the sketch pad to a clean page and immediately started the rough outlining.

Meh. Who cares? It's worth a try.

* * *

><p>47 minutes.<p>

For a simple sketch, he took quite a long time to finish it. Well, far longer than the usual spur of the moment sketches he sometimes does. He had intended it to be a quick sketch, nothing fancy, just a rough drawing. It ended up anything but.

He let out a contented sigh. Even with the fact that he had been distracted quite a few times from his work when normally he'd have been so engrossed to the point of working through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, he was still rather productive today. Closing the sketch pad, he glanced up at the clock and checked the time.

_1:30 pm. _

Huh. He blew at his bangs. He hadn't expected that he'd lose track of the time yet again. They haven't had lunch yet, so he probably should wake the brunet up now. After putting away his supplies, Fon quietly walked towards Tsunayoshi, careful not to startle the boy into abruptly waking up.

The brunet has been sleeping for a good couple of hours now. Fon sported an amused expression at how much of a heavy sleeper the boy is. As much as he didn't want to disturb Tsunayoshi's peaceful slumber, he had to wake him up. It's not healthy for a young boy to skip meals.

"Tsunayoshi. It's time to wake up."

"_Nngn." _

Fon furrowed his brows. That sounded as if...

"Tsunayo–" Color drained from the Chinese as he saw the brunet's face, scrunched up in pain and...fear? He immediately shook the boy awake, calling out for him to wake up, but still keeping his voice from betraying his overly worried self. It is during these kinds of situations that he should keep himself calm and level headed.

There was a soft cry of pain, then Tsuna immediately shot up to a sitting position, eyes wide open, surprising Fon in the process. He kept both hands to his face, sweating and trembling. His eyes were unfocused and he tried to control his breathing. His lungs felt so constricted. Dizziness swept over him and he felt nauseous. It felt painful, so painful. Yet he wasn't passing out, as if it was intended for him to experience all that excruciating pain.

Fon couldn't keep the worry from showing on his pale face. The brunet was as white as paper. Just what can he do?

His mind wandered briefly to the small bottle of medicine, Tsunayoshi's medicine, standing innocently amidst other medications. He didn't waste another second before rushing to the kitchen to retrieve the glass bottle. Reborn's words played in his head.

_But if the situation__calls for it, I give you the permission to shove it down his throat..._

As soon as Tsuna laid his eyes upon the 'damned thing', his eyes widened more than it already was. He shook his head frantically from side to side, inching further away from the other. A sudden pain in his chest stopped him almost immediately; his knuckles went white from clenching onto his shirt. His breathing became even more labored and his body shook uncontrollably. Sweat matted his bangs to his forehead. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

Fon could no longer stand seeing the brunet in such a way. He felt so helpless when it came to the brunet's phobia. He twisted the bottle cap open and took out a single orange colored pill.

"I'm sorry about this, Tsunayoshi."

After having said that, Fon popped the pill into his mouth and crashed his lips with Tsuna's own. This elicited a surprised squeak from the brunet and Fon took advantage of the small opening to slip the medicine into his mouth. He instantly covered Tsuna's mouth with his hand until he was sure that the brunet has safely swallowed the pill. Slowly, he drew back his hand.

The room was silent for a while, save for the ticking sound of the clock. Tsuna was slumped on the couch, his head hung between his shoulders. His breathing soon returned to normal and his body ceased shaking. Fon let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the medicine seems to be working. He reached out to ruffle the brunet's spiky hair. A small smile adorned his face.

"You really scared me there."

His hand stopped its movements and he immediately withdrew it. He eyed Tsuna cautiously. Something felt odd.

"Tsunayoshi?"

A small giggle erupted from Tsuna's throat, turning into laughter. It soon died down to a low chuckle.

Fon's eyes widened as Tsuna lifted his head to look at him. The normally fearful and apprehensive caramel eyes were glazed over and calm, tinted with an almost orange gleam because of the room's lighting. His cheeks were flushed pink and his lips were curved up into a small smile. The Chinese could not deny the fact that the brunet looked...beautiful, for a lack of a better word to describe him.

He giggled once more then latched himself onto the older man.

Fon was almost knocked off balance if he hadn't immediately dug his palm onto the floor for support. He held the brunet by the waist, who was now currently giggling while rubbing his cheek on Fon's chest, like a cat seeking affection from its master.

The Chinese was stunned into silence. What was happening?

"Fo~n –san~" A fit of giggles.

Fon opted not to answer. He eyed 'Tsunayoshi' warily. Is this because of the medicine?

A giggle.

"Why don't we play~?"

"Wha–"

It all happened so fast. Fon found himself roughly pushed and pinned to the ground, his back aching slightly from the impact of the fall. Tsuna sat on top of him, a small grin ever present on his lips. His oversized shirt hung loosely on his petite body, showing a bit of creamy white skin around the neck and shoulder area.

Fon tried to push Tsunayoshi off, but then his arms were firmly secured to the ground by the other's legs. He wiggled under the weight.

Tsuna smiled in triumph.

"Ara? You can't run away, Fon-san~!" His glazed eyes gleamed as he spoke in a singsong voice. A giggle resounded across the room. "It'll be fun~!"

Fon's breath hitched as he felt cold fingers slowly trail over his exposed skin. His eyes widened as the knot buttons of his Chinese clothing were being unbuttoned by a pair of small hands. He did his best to struggle.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

Giggles flew from the brunet's mouth. He lowered his face until his lips were merely centimeters away from Fon's. Caramel orbs bore into onyx ones. His grin widened as he spoke.

"Why, I'm just picking up where we left off~"

Just as Tsuna was about to close the distance between them, the front door of the apartment suddenly burst open, causing the two to both look to the direction of the racket.

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><p><strong>AN:** Was that too much of a cliffie? XD Well, thank you for reading. ^^ Please do leave me a review. Leaving reviews = happy author. Happy author = faster updates. :)))


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